The embodiments herein relate generally to chair support devices.
An individual's seating environment often constrains the individual from stretching, changing positions, relieving pressure, transferring from a neutral to an active position, leaning back and from entering and exiting the chair. In certain instances, a person self-propelling a wheelchair can be at a disadvantage when his/her hips are locked into position. This lack of movement can be detrimental to one's health and mental well-being. This basic need applies to able-bodied people as well as those with disabilities.
People with disabilities often have limited movement and may require special support, but they still should be given the opportunity to move to the best of their ability. There are numerous chairs that offer movement including pivoting, rocking and/or stretching as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2005/0029855 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,050,642 and 9,408,763. However, these chairs do not provide one or more of the following features, which contribute to holistic health: (1) An integrated movement system that engages both the upper and lower body; (2) Transferability of the seat to numerous bases; (3) Aid in entering and exiting the chair; (4) User-activated tilt and hip angle adjustment; (5) A light-weight foldable system for transport; (6) The chair's features can be operated either by the user or the care-taker; and (7) The care-taker can lock out accessibility to operating the features from the user when it is appropriate.
As such, there is a need in the industry for a dynamic support system for a chair with enhanced user adjustability that addresses the limitations of the prior art. There is a further need for the dynamic support system to allow seating systems to provide the benefits of dynamic motion to both disabled and able-bodied individuals. There is a further need for the dynamic support system to be easily removed from the chair, transferred to alternate bases, and compactly folded for transport.